Michie Mee And LA Luv (Michelle McCullock & Phillip Gayle)

Michie Mee is considered a national hip-hop pioneer and "probably Canada's first international hip-hop superstar.

Born in Jamaica, the MC moved to Toronto at a young age and began performing in her teenage years. She later teamed up with DJ L.A. Luv to form the duo Michie Mee and L.A. Luv.

Elements of Style, the pair's first single, became incredibly popular in both Canada and the U.S., leading the group to get signed with First Priority and Atlantic Records in 1988. As a result of that, Michee Mee became the first Canadian rapper to sign a record deal with an American label.

She was the perfect encasement of Caribbean youth hybridity.

She would destroy rappers that would come to Canada — U.S. rappers that would come to a concert hall — and really, really help us feel proud about who we were as Canadians. She was definitely representing the TDot before the term the TDot was invented by K4CE (K-Force).
-Mark Campbell